Henry J. Cakora

Born March 6, 1936 in Chicago, he was the son of Henry Frank and Blanche M. (Slad) Cakora. He married Alice F. French on August 5, 1969 in Pekin. She survives.

Also surviving are four children, Leslie Cakora of Baltimore, Maryland, Mack (Rhonda) Cakora of Pekin, Christine (Tom) King of Silver Spring, Maryland and Gay (Tom) Dietz of Hampstead, Maryland; nine grandchildren, Ryan Cakora, Jaclyn Cakora, Will King, Molly King, Sean Dietz, Josh Dietz, Caliann Dietz, Myka Netzky and Tasha Netzky.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Marilyn Ann Oseland and Oralle J. Bradley.

He was a 1954 graduate of Pekin Community High School and graduated in 1959 from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering. While at Northwestern, Henry worked at Caterpillar in a work study program.

Henry life’s work was dedicated to Tazewell Machine Works, Inc. (TMW), a foundry and machine shop located in Pekin and now in its fourth generation of family operation. Henry was the second generation and started out of college as the Plant Manager and became Vice President in 1964 and President and CEO in 1971. He served in that position until 2000. He was an innovative engineer and his skills were put to a test when the old TMW facility on North Second Street in Pekin was completely destroyed by fire in July of 1963. Within a few weeks following the fire the decision was made to rebuild the facility on land on Second Street where the facility is located today. Henry designed the new foundry along with the entire plant production layout. Once the plans were in place, Henry and a group of dedicated and talented employees began building a lot of the equipment for the new foundry and 6 months later TMW started making castings again at the new location. Henry enjoyed working with a lot of good people over the years at TMW and was happy to see the business become a 4th generation business. He was a member of the American Foundry Society and the Non Ferrous Founders Society. He had served on the United Private Industry Council Region 16 for 1983 and 1984.

Henry believed in supporting the community in any way he could because he was always proud to call Pekin home since 1938. Henry formerly served on the Herget Bank Board of Directors from 1974 to 2009 and on the Pekin Hospital Board of Trustees from 1979 to 1989, serving as Board President in 1982 and 1989. He also was a past member of the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors from 1978 to 1981. He and his wife, Alice, led successful capital campaigns for the building of the Rust Transitional Center at the Salvation Army and for the new TAPS Animal Shelter, both in Pekin. Henry was passionate about serving on the board at TAPS, serving as President and graciously donated the land that the animal shelter is built on.

Henry enjoyed astronomy and celestial navigation and was proud to have designed and built, with other volunteers, the Sundial, which is located in the sunken gardens at Mineral Springs Park in Pekin. Henry also enjoyed oil painting, sailing, and tennis in his younger years, home and yard projects, lunches at Busy Corner and the Twisted Spoke and the Nameless Lunch Group that he was a part of for over 40 years. He especially enjoyed getting together with family and friends and took numerous sailing trips over the years.

Henry and Alice were selected as Grand Marshals of the Pekin Marigold Festival in 1997. They also were awarded the Good Scout Award from the W.D. Boyce Council of the Boy Scouts of America in 2011 and served as co-chairman of the Pekin Salvation Army Christmas campaign. Other community awards Henry was the recipient of include Pekin Citizen of the Year in 1993, the Frederick J. Velde Memorial Award from the Pekin Hospital Foundation in 1997, and the Pekin Salvation Army Others Award in 2011.

He was of the Catholic faith.

His funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin. Father Michael Andrejek will officiate. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday evening at the funeral home. Burial will be at Prairie Haven Cemetery in Pekin.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Tazewell Animal Protective Society Board Endowment Fund, 100 Taps Lane, Pekin, IL 61554 or to the charity of the donor’s choice.

The family would like to thank Serenity Point Hospice of Canton for their wonderful and supportive care of Henry.

To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com